Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => REQUEENING & RAISING NEW QUEENS => Topic started by: D Coates on March 05, 2010, 12:20:43 pm
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I know it's early for this but I've wasted some capped queen cells because I couldn't get them off of the plastic frame. I remove drones as part of my IPM every 3 weeks, until flow starts. I restart it once flow ends. Invariably, I'll come across some capped queen cells on the bottom of those frames (green Perco). They are not in the comb. Because I haven't found a way to remove them without damage I end up treating them like bottom bur comb and put them in the freezer with the drones. I was not happy to find five capped Q cells from a great hive that I couldn't use.
Has anyone figured out a way that they can be successfully removed without damaging them. This is assuming the Q cell is from a hive who's traits I want to pass on.
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Just take the whole frame and (if it's all drone brood) another frame of brood, some stores of pollen and honey and place them in a nuc. Feed them 1:1 until they can manage on their own. It's a great way to gain a hive.
Scott
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I never succeeded at removing them. I just take the whole frame.
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If I let the drones hatch aren't I just allowing the varroa the get a boost in a hive that's obviously not very strong? I was under the impression that drones are not particularly loyal to their hive. With this said couldn't I be boosting the mite population?
If the Queen cell is on a regular frame I do begin a new nuc with the stolen frame and a couple others. I was just seeing if anyone had figured a way to get them off a frame that couldn't be used to start another hive.
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It won't help now, but try finding something to attach to the bottom of your frames that can be removed. Something that could be pealed off with the queen cell attached. Place it in another nuc and there you go. I should get a patten on this but it is probably in the works already. :? It would be nice if all frames had a removeable label just for such times. :lol:
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If you are using all plastic frames and want to have some queens just get a couple 8 frame boxes in the size you want to work with. Fill thes with wooden frames and foundation or starter strips, your preference.
Try to keep all your plastic frame colonies queen cell free and use these wood frame boxes for that purpose.
If you can't find a fording place to cross the river you have to build a bridge. :roll: :)doak
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Mine were on the face of the plastic frame, but I made small wire cages, with one side open, that I pushed into the comb. When the queens hatched I introduced them into a mating nuc. With a little bending you could maybe get a cage around a cell on the bottom. I coat the virgins with a little watered down honey and release them in the nuc, seems to work well.
Jim
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Grandpa Jim, I like that idea. I will be making me some queen cages soon.
Mark
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Yeah,
That's a great idea.
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Drones are a necessitity. Leaving them will just save them raising more.
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Grandpa Jim
Why do you leave one side open? Is it too small for the queen to escape but large enough for workers? I could understand caging after the cell is capped and not leaving a side open, then she can not go anywhere, correct?
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Mine were on the face of the plastic frame, but I made small wire cages, with one side open, that I pushed into the comb. When the queens hatched I introduced them into a mating nuc. With a little bending you could maybe get a cage around a cell on the bottom. I coat the virgins with a little watered down honey and release them in the nuc, seems to work well.
Jim
...I was trying to figure how to ask how you take advantage of multiple queen cells and transfer the queens into mating nucs.
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I think he means he leaves one side of the box open so he can press it over the cell. You would put the cages over the cells about day 10 (in bees lifecycle) or about day 7 after grafting or making them queenless (after cells are capped). Then, after hatch, you would make up a nuc, leave it queenless overnight and introduce her either in a cage or grandpa Jim says he puts honey on her and introduces her directly.
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That is correct, the side that is open is the side that gets pressed into the comb. The queen cannot get out until I pull the cage off the frame and I do that in my screened in porch.
Jim
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That's funny. It just seemed such common sense that you could not press the cage into a frame without making your queen a waffle that I thought you had a side open for workers or such!!! Thanks.